Page 8 of His Little Garnet

ChapterFour

Olivia

I can’t believe I just agreed to be this man’s mate. I’ve surely lost my mind.

Less than a second after I utter the one word that will change everything, Chadka kisses the tip of my pointer finger, holding it tighter. Something pricks my skin.

I flinch and try to draw my hand back. “Ouch.”

He smiles and does it again on my next finger. This time the slight nick isn’t as bad, perhaps because it’s less unexpected.

“What…” My voice trails off as I stare at him, realizing this was what he meant when he said his saliva would affect me. I’m certainly affected. Is it possible I’m even more attracted to him all of a sudden?

It’s unreasonable, but my breasts feel heavier, and I squeeze my knees together. I’m aroused. I can hardly feel the pain in my arm. A glance down tells me it’s still just as broken, but it doesn’t hurt as badly, and the pain lessens with each prick to the pads of my fingers. How is he doing that?

He licks each tip next and then lowers my hand. “I’m going to tell the others to come back in now. You can say goodbye to your friend, then I want to get you upstairs so we can set your arm properly.”

He’s not asking me. He’s telling me, and I nod as if I’ve been hypnotized.

The moment he releases me, I feel…lonely. I want him back. He crosses the room and opens the door in two strides, and then he’s back at my side, standing behind me, his palms on my shoulders, his fingers touching my bare skin, calming me. Luring me in.

Janie rushes into the room first, her gaze jerking up and down between Chadka and me before she comes to a stop in front of me and sighs. “We had a deal,” she teases.

I chuckle. “If you wanted to win the man, I guess you should have fallen and broken your arm instead of me,” I joke, though I know this would have changed nothing.

Janie drops onto the chair Chadka vacated and grabs my good hand, squeezing it. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Me either,” I admit. “Please tell me you’ll be okay.” Suddenly, I have a horrible thought. “The rent.”

She waves a hand through the air. “Don’t worry about the rent. I have a job now, remember. We wouldn’t have stayed in that tiny apartment much longer. I can afford it.”

I nod slowly. She’s right. “Don’t let the plants die,” I tease.

She snorts. “Thank God I’m the one staying then. You don’t have a green thumb.”

For long moments, we stare at each other. My heart hurts. I’m trying not to cry. Janie is my best friend.

She finally lurches forward and hugs me tight, careful to avoid my injured arm. “Don’t say goodbye. I hate goodbyes,” she murmurs as she sits back. “Besides, you never know. Maybe we’ll see each other again. Maybe I’ll start hanging out here on weekends until some giant hunk chooses me and I can join you.”

I grin. “That would be nice.”

“We need to go, Baby girl,” Chadka says softly. “I want to get your arm set correctly.” His fingers are stroking my shoulders, but it feels like he’s stroking my entire body. If I didn’t know better, I would believe he was cupping my breasts or sliding those giant palms between my thighs. I can feel him all over my skin even though he’s still standing behind me.

“I love you,” Janie says, swiping away tears.

“I love you too. Thanks for being the best friend ever.” My tears are falling now too. How is this happening? My heart hurts, but at the same time, it feels like it’s also mending. As if Chadka is holding it in his hands. I can feel his promise all through my body. It coats me like a warm blanket in the sun.

Chadka comes to my side, eases a hand up under my knees, and lifts me into his arms as if I weigh ten pounds.

I grab onto him around the neck with my good arm even though it’s not necessary. He’s not going to drop me. I know deep in my bones he’s never going to let anything bad happen to me.

“Do I need to do anything? Fill out forms or something?” I ask as he strides toward the door.

Chadka glances down at me. “Do you have a purse?”

I shake my head and twist my neck to find Janie.

She pulls my ID out of her purse and hands it to Chadka.

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